Blackbird
by BreakingSuperLock
Summary: Tears pooled in his eyes as he pressed his lips to his husband's ear, singing softly, "Take these broken wings and learn to fly..." AU.
1. Chapter 1

**This is one of roughly 2,000,000 stories that obsessedwithstabler and I have co-written and hoarded over the years. I assure you that some of the others will eventually be posted!**

 **Disclaimer: We do not own Supernatural. We also do not own Blackbird by The Beatles, which I used for the title. Stay tuned!**

When Cas thought about his future, he saw Dean Winchester in it.

Maybe he was just cliche. But no matter how many different scenarios he played in his mind, Dean was always in them.

And Cas imagined children in their future together. Dean already had a baby girl from his first marriage. Sarah was almost two years old and full of mischief, but Cas adored her. Dean had her every other weekend and every Wednesday. It never seemed like enough time, but neither one of them wanted to isolate Sarah from her mom.

Cas had everything set in his mind. He would propose to Dean at a nice dinner. Maybe he would even have Sarah present the ring. He imagined Dean saying yes, flashing that shit-eating grin that made Cas weak in the knees. Their wedding would be small, but everything they wanted.

He imagined them telling Sarah she would be a big sister. Sarah's green eyes would light up as she hugged them tight. Maybe she would even start calling him Daddy, too.

Everything seemed so perfect in his mind.

Then one day, life pulled the rug from beneath their feet before Cas had a chance to put his plans into action.

For the first time in years, Dean was deployed. It broke his heart to leave Cas and Sarah, but he had to fight for his country.

The day Dean had to leave, he blinked back tears as he hugged Cas, Sam, and Sarah goodbye. As he boarded the plane, he swore to himself that he would come back. He was making the world a better place for them.

As the days and weeks passed, Cas felt hollow in their little apartment. Since he wasn't related to Sarah, he had no legal rights to grant visitation. Sam tried his best to bring her by to see him, which helped him cope with Dean's absence.

Dean called and even FaceTimed when he could, but sometimes calls were few and far between. Cas watched the news and checked the Internet every day, praying he wouldn't see a headline about Dean's base.

For weeks, Cas heard nothing about Dean's base. Dean couldn't share details during the calls. Besides, when Dean called, he wanted to talk about anything but the fighting. He wanted to talk about Sarah and Cas and funny stories to lighten the mood.

For the first month, he called twice a week. Then once a week. As calls became shorter, Cas learned to cherish every moment. Soon, Dean was only able to call once every other week.

Whenever a call didn't come on time, Cas's only option was to hope the worst hadn't happened.

Three weeks went by.

Four.

Cas was on his lunch break, reading Dean's most recent letter when his phone buzzed with a news update. Wiping his hands on a napkin, Cas picked up his phone to read the notification.

 _Attack on US Army Base Leaves at Least 50 Dead._

As his heart clenched, an incoming FaceTime call from Sam came in. A lump rose in Cas's throat as he fumbled, swiping his thumb shakily across the screen. A moment later, Sam's face appeared on the screen.

"Cas." Sam's voice escaped his lips tightly, and his face was pale.

Cas gripped the table with his free hand. "No," he said lowly. "Don't say it, Sam."

"It happened this morning..." Sam's breath hitched. "Cas, Dean was stationed there..."

"He's not dead, Sam," Cas snapped. "He...he's fine."

Sam ran his fingers through his hair. "They haven't identified bodies yet... we'll know later..."

He shook his head and moments later his brother's face came into view.

"Hey, Cassie," Gabe greeted softly. "We're coming over in a few hours."

"No..."

"Yes. We'll bring dinner. You're not going to sit there alone and worry."

Sam nodded. "And I'll swing by Lauren's house and get Sarah."

Finally Cas sniffled and nodded. "Okay."

"Okay. We'll see you this evening."

He nodded weakly and watched as Sam and Gabe's faces disappeared from his screen.

He barely pulled through the rest of the day, but finally it was time to clock out. He went home, and soon Sam and Gabe showed up with Sarah. Sarah lit up when she spotted Cas. She reached out to him, her little fingers wiggling.

Cas let out a breath and took her into his arms. "Hello, sweetheart. I've missed you so much..."

"Cas!" Sarah hugged his neck.

He kissed her head and hugged her. "Thank you for bringing her, sam." He knew Laura resented him, despite his and Dean's best efforts to coparent with her.

Sam nodded and ruffled his niece's hair. "I thought she would be a good addition."

"And we brought food." Gabriel set two large paper bags on the table and began pulling out containers. "We brought you chicken parm."

"Thanks, Gabe." Cas sat down and settled Sarah in his lap. "Want to help me eat, sweetheart?"

"Yeah!"

"You always do." He opened his dinner box and gave her half of his garlic bread. "Yummy."

"Num num!" She took a big bite.

Cas kissed her head again as his brothers sat beside him.

"She's a cutie." Gabe nudged Sam. "We oughtta have a few of those."

Sam smiled and kissed Gabe's messy hair. Sarah finished her garlic bread, then stuck her spoon into her macaroni and began messily feeding herself.

Cas ate his own dinner with less gusto, but he was thankful to have Sarah right there.

Sam spoke up a few minutes later. "I talked Laura into letting Sarah spend the night here."

Cas looked at sam gratefully. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome. I think Sarah missed you."

"God knows I missed her," he said quietly, his hand absently stroking her hair.

Sarah leaned into him. Sam handed her a little backpack. Pleased, Sarah dug through it until she found the stuffed tiger Dean had bought her in the airport gift shop the day he left. "Dada kitty!"

A lump formed in his throat. "Yes," he managed. "Daddy bought the tiger for you."

She snuggled her tiger under one arm, then cuddled against Cas's side.

He gladly held her tighter. "Are you full, Sar? All done?"

"All done!"

"That's my girl." He ate a few more bites. "I'm going to clean her up. Can you guys stay?"

Sam nodded. "We aren't going anywhere."

"Yep. We'll clean up in here," Gabe added.

"Thank you." Cas stood up with Sarah. "How about a bubble bath?"

"Yeah!" She handed Gabe her tiger. "Kitty," she commanded.

Gabe took her tiger and gently tickled her. "Go get clean, brat. I'll make sure Kitty doesn't get himself in trouble."

"Kay."

Cas smiled sadly and carried her down the hall, stroking her hair. He shut the bathroom door behind them. Setting Sarah down for a minute, he turned on the tub faucet. Once the water was the right temperature, he poured in the bubbles. Then he removed Sarah's outfit and lowered her into the tub.

When they were alone, Sam looked at Gabe sadly. "He needs Sarah here more often." He didn't want to believe that his brother was dead, that Dean had found a was to escape and would turn up once the investigation was complete. But they had to face the reality that Dean could very well be buried beneath six feet of rubble somewhere, and he wasn't sure if Cas would be able to face it.

"I think so, too."

Gabe looked thoughtful. "Do you think that witch would agree if I paid her?"

"Gabe..."

"It's an idea! She hates Cassie and the only reason she said yes to this is because she thinks Sarah is with us."

"We'll think about it."

"Fine," Gabe grumbled.

A few minutes later, Cas returned with Sarah, clean and in footed kitten pajamas.

Sarah raised her arms proudly. "All cwean!"

Gabe got up and came over to them. "You certainly are, lollipop." He kissed her forehead.

"We even brought some dessert." Sam set out a container with a brownie in it.

Sarah lit up. "Mm!"

Cas chuckled and let Gabe take Sarah. "Go wild."

She picked up the brownie and took a big bite. "Yum!"

Sarah nearly inhaled her brownie, to everyone's amusement. Gabe insisted on wiping her down again before giving her back to Cas.

Sam gathered all the dirty dishes. "Go sit down with her, Cas."

He smiled at his brother-in-law and grabbed one of Sarah's books from his shelf. Then he sat down with her in Dean's favorite recliner. Sarah snuggled her tiger close, leaning back against Cas's chest. Cas opened the book and found the first page. ""It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful," he read softly.

Sam and Gabe quietly cleaned up the kitchen before sitting down on the couch.

As he finished the first chapter of Matilda, Cas realized Sarah was sleeping. Closing the book, he sniffled quietly.

Gabe looked worried. "Cas, what's wrong?"

He set the book aside and held Sarah tighter. "If I lose Dean, I'll lose Sarah, too..."

"Nope." Gabe shook his head. "We'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"How?" He choked.

"It's not going to happen. I don't care if I have to pay that..." He swallowed the insult he wanted to say. "I don't care if I have to pay Lauren. You will never lose that baby."

"Gabe..."

Gabe shook his head. "And besides. She knows better than to keep Sarah from her Uncle Samoose. Whenever Sam has her, we'll make sure you see her. And if that doesn't work, I'm not above bribery."

Cas closed his eyes and stroked Sarah's soft head. "Thank you, Gabe..."

"We'll make sure you get to see her."

He nodded tightly and rubbed his eyes. Feeling exhausted, he reclined in the chair with Sarah and closed his eyes. Sarah snuggled close, yawning sleepily. Gabe got up and grabbed a throw blanket. He unfolded it and draped it over his brother and sleeping niece.

"Sleep well, you two."

 ***dodges angry mob* This is just the beginning, y'all. Stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry this took a while! Here is chapter 2. It's a little shorter, but there is plenty more to come.**

 **Disclaimer:** obsessedwithstabler and I do not own Supernatural, nor do we own Blackbird by the Beatles.

* * *

In the weeks that passed, Dean's absence grew heavier. All they knew was that there was an attack on his station, and many soldiers were killed. Some were identified; some weren't.

Cas's rock was Sarah. Thanks to Sam and Gabriel, he saw Sarah at least once or twice a week. Sometimes Sarah asked for her daddy, which always tore painfully at Cas's heartstrings. He always tried to redirect her by singing to her, reading a story, or playing with the beloved stuffed tiger that she only set down to eat or bathe.

Still, Sarah spent most of her time with her mom. Lauren and Dean had split up when Sarah was a year old, sharing custody since. At twenty months, Sarah was much too young to understand divorce, let alone why her daddy was gone. But she was a resilient child, so she reacted well to Cas and even when her mother went on dates.

Even so, it was strange when Joseph, Lauren's boyfriend of six months moved in. Sarah was wary of him, even though he didn't hurt her or anything. But he was a little loud, which startled her.

One evening, Sarah played on the rug with her blocks while Joseph watched television. She stacked her tower, then nudged it. "Boom!" She exclaimed as it toppled.

Joseph glared at the toddler. "Shh."

Sarah stacked her blocks again, laughing as she toppled the tower again. One of the blocks tumbled onto the coffee table, knocking over Joseph's beer.

Already fairly drunk, and now pissed, he shot to his feet with a growl. "Damn it!"

Started, Sarah dropped her blocks. "I sowwee..."

"Little brat!" He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her to her feet.

Startled, Sarah yelped in pain. "Mommy!"

A hard hand slapped her tiny cheek. "Shut up!"

Crying, Sarah sobbed, "Want Dada!"

"He's dead!" Suddenly the toddler was tangling in the air, one large hand painfully gripping her tiny arm. "Stop your crying!"

Terrified, Sarah squirmed and continued crying. "Dada!"

His anger bordered on rage as he suddenly gave her a hard shake. "Shut up!"

As Sarah cried, he shook her harder. Suddenly, they heard a snap. Sarah abruptly stopped crying and let out a pained gasp.

Sarah didn't make another sound. Satisfied, Joseph went to the kitchen and grabbed another beer. As he opened it, he went back to the couch and sat down.

Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door.

Joseph got up and made his way to the door. "What do you want?"

Sam smelled the beer and he narrowed his eyes. "We're here to take Sarah to the park."

"She's asleep."

He shrugged and shouldered past Joseph. "She can sleep in the car."

He found Sarah in her playpen, asleep and very still. Her chest rose and fell as she breathed, but otherwise she didn't move. She rested on her back, lying on her legs at an awkward angle.

He frowned and leaned down, gently stroking her cheek. "Sarah?"

Sarah's eyelids slowly fluttered open. She held an arm up, but didn't try to sit up.

Gabe gave Joseph a pointed look. "You did something to her."

"No I didn't," he snapped.

Sam carefully picked his tiny niece up and cradled her to his chest.

Sarah whimpered and hid her face. "Owie..."

Gabe scowled at Joseph. "What the fuck did you do to her?"

"Nothing, you fucking leprechaun."

"Gabe, we'll deal with that later. We need to get Sarah to the emergency room."

Scowling, Gabe shoved past Joseph and ushered his husband out to their car.

Gabe looked absolutely livid. "Sit in back with her and start taking pictures. The second she's admitted, they'll be calling the police and child welfare."

"Got it. And we need to call Cas."

"Calling him now." He dialed his brother's number after starting the car.

Cas answered almost immediately. "Gabe?"

"Cas, I need you to meet us at St. Matthews."

"Why? What's going on?"

"It's Sarah."

There was a moment of silence. "I'm on my way." The call disconnected.

Sam smoothed Sarah's back. "Shh..."

She continued to whimper and shake as Gabe backed out of the driveway and raced toward the hospital.

Sarah drifted in and out of consciousness, which terrified Sam. She cried about her arm, but Sam was more concerned about internal injuries. When they arrived at the hospital, Sam carefully carried his niece inside, with Gabe hot on his heels.

A nurse rushed to meet them, and moments later an entire medical team surrounded them and took Sarah.

Sarah whimpered as she was taken. "Want Dada..."

Sam's heart broke. "It's gonna be okay, baby," he called after her.

Cas looked terrified. "What happened?"

Gabe shook his head and urged his little brother to sit down. "We don't know. All I know is Lauren's son of a bitch boyfriend has something to do with it."

"I need to be with her!"

"The doctors are gonna take good care of her, Cassie."

He held his head in his hands. "I need her..."

Gabe rubbed his back. "We'll wait with you."

Cas nodded numbly.

Left with nothing else to do, they waited in sad silence.

 **Oh dear. Please leave reviews to let us know you want more! Reviews make the world go round.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sincerest apologies for the delay. Anyway, here is chapter three!  
**

 **Disclaimer:** obsessedwithstabler and I do not own Supernatural or the song Blackbird.

* * *

True to their word, Sam and Gabe stayed with Cas the entire time. They'd been waiting for over an hour before a nurse approached them. "Family of Sarah Winchester?"

Sam stood up. "I'm her NOK after her parents."

The nurse checked Sarah's file and nodded. "Alright. We're still examining Sarah and running scans. Her left arm is fractured in two places, and she has a concussion. She definitely has spinal trauma, but we don't know the extent yet. The doctors are working on that right now."

"Is she going to be okay?" Gabe demanded.

"We'll know more soon. She isn't responding to stimuli beneath her chest."

"Can I see her?" Cas asked, his legs feeling weak. Right now, the medical jargon fell on deaf ears. All he cared about was seeing his sweet girl.

"In a little bit. She's having x-rays right now."

"Okay..."

"We'll let you know."

"Thank you..."

"And you said you believe her injuries were inflicted by her mother's boyfriend?"

Gabe nodded darkly. "We had her yesterday afternoon and she was her normal self. when we went to pick her up today, she was lethargic and in pain. The boyfriend, Joseph, reeked of alcohol." He motioned to his husband. "Sam took pictures to document everything we could see."

"Her mother left her alone with Joseph." Sam was trying to keep calm as he spoke. "I want the police involved."

"Of course. Without witnesses, it will be difficult to prove what happened, but Sarah's injuries suggest that she was shaken."

Cas felt his stomach church.

"Then you suspect child abuse. I want CPS, the cops, the damn FBI." Gabe was livid.

"Yes, Sir."

"Thank you." He turned away from her and ran his hand over his face.

Sam rested his hand on his husband's shoulder. "Breathe, Gabe..."

"That son of a bitch..."

"I know. He's going to jail." He stroked Gabe's hair. "I have some friends, some strings I can pull. We can try to get custody of Sarah."

Cas was heartbroken but he nodded solemnly. If Lauren was found party to the abuse, then Sam could try to gain custody of his little niece. That was the only way Cas would be able to see her. He knew that if the situation remained unquestioned, Lauren would never let him see Sarah again.

"It just burns me up to think someone could do that to her." Gabe still scowled.

"I know. But we have to focus on Sarah and Cas now, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Good." He gently kissed Gabe's forehead. "I'm going to go get us some coffee."

Sam left to get coffee for the three of them, as well as some snacks to tide them over. Another hour passed before the nurse returned to them, carrying a folder with X-ray scans peeking out of it.

Cas was first on his feet. "Can I see her?"

"Just a moment. Her doctor wants you to be aware of her injuries."

Gabe shook his head. "Sam and I will speak with the doctor. Please let Cas go see her."

She led him down the hall and to a small room, where Sarah slept with her back in a brace and her arm in a cast. "We'll be in and out to monitor her concussion."

"Thank you..." He quickly sat down beside his little girl, his eyes burning with tears when he saw the immobilizing brace that held her little body still. Breathing deeply, Cas leaned over Sarah's bed. "Hello, sweetheart," he whispered, his finger gently stroking her little cheek. "I love you."

Sarah sighed in her sleep, leaning her cheek into his hand.

He sniffled quietly. "That's my girl..."

That was where Sam and Gabe found him an hour later, still intently watching his toddler.

"Cas?"

Cas sniffled and wiped his tears away. "She's still asleep but she seems comfortable."

"We talked to her doctor."

"What did he say? Can we take her home soon?"

"In a few days, but..." Gabe sighed. "Joseph did a number on her spinal cord when he shook her."

Cas turned to look at them. "What exactly does that mean?"

Sam sighed sadly. "She likely won't be able to walk again."

He was quiet for a long time.

"We're going to get her the best doctors, kiddo. And the police are here talking to the nurses. They know Joseph did this to her."

Drained, Cas looked back at Sarah. "But she's going to live?"

"Yeah, Cassie. She'll live."

"Then I'll figure everything else out." Relieved, Cas smoothed a hand over Sarah's soft hair.

Sam nodded. "And we're going to fight for your custodial rights."

Cas looked back at them, running his hands through his hair. "I want her," he said very softly. "Please."

"Okay." Sam squeezed his shoulder. "From the looks of it, Joseph is going to jail for a long time. Lauren might even be charged with endangerment for leaving Sarah alone with him. As long as I can help it, they're never hurting her again."

"Good." He patted Sam's hand and returned to Sarah's side.

Gabe wrapped his arm around Sam. "Start making those calls, gorgeous. When the hospital is ready to release her, I want Cassie to be able to take her home."

"I will."

He smiled softly and kissed Sam's cheek.

They both sat down, waiting with Cas as they watched their little girl.

* * *

It took three days, but Cas, Sam, and Gabe were all at the hospital when Sarah started to stir. Cas wanted to pick her up but the nurses cautioned against moving her. So he had to settle for stroking her hair as she murmured and fidgeted in her sleep.

Sam and Gabe stood across from Cas, eagerly watching Sarah as well. Her tiny hand nearly disappeared in Sam's large one as he held it gently.

Finally Sarah opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. Her soft green eyes finally focused on Cas's concerned face looming over hers. A weary smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Hello, sweetheart," Cas choked out. "There's my beautiful girl..."

"Kitty..." Sarah's tiger was in the crook of her right arm, and she hugged it tight before looking at Cas.

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Dada...?"

More tears filled his eyes. "Shh...everything's okay..."

Yawning, Sarah reached a hand toward him.

He gladly grasped her tiny hand. "My angel..."

All three men were overwhelmed and immensely grateful that Sarah was awake, and they spent the rest of the day doting on her, reading to her, and generally doing everything they thought might comfort or distract her from her surroundings.

Sarah didn't seem to be in pain thanks to the medication she was on, but she asked for Dean and yawned a lot. As she grew tired, she became fussy and started clinging to Cas's hand.

Cas stayed by Sarah's side, refusing to release her hand. "I'm not going anywhere, baby girl," he whispered as she fussed.

Relaxing, Sarah closed her eyes again.

Cas relaxed. "Good girl..."

Gabe got up and stretched. "I'm gonna make a dinner run. Sammich, do you wanna go or stay?"

"I'll stay, babe." He closed the book he was reading.

"Okay. I'll be back."

Gabe nodded and left, and when the door closed, Sam looked at his brother-in-law.

"How are you doing, Cas?"

He shrugged. "She's alive," he said quietly. "Right now that's all I care about."

Sam nodded softly. "I'm going to make sure you get custody. I know you and Dean weren't married, but you're as close to family as anyone else."

He looked at Sam with gratitude. "She means the entire world to me, Sam. Especially since Dean..." A lump formed in his throat. "We know he's... he probably isn't..."

"Right..."

"And she'll have you and Gabe... I'll need both of you as well."

"Of course. We aren't letting you go through this alone."

"I know..."

A little while later, Gabe came back with their dinner. For the first time in days, Cas actually felt hungry. "That smells delicious."

"Yeah?" Gabe handed him a bag.

"Mm hmm." He opened the bag and groaned softly.

"Good. I want you to eat."

"I will." He unwrapped his grilled chicken sandwich and took a big, satisfying bite.

Nodding in approval, Gabe handed Sam a container. "Got your rabbit food."

"Hey, I have to eat healthy. God knows you won't." Still Sam gave his husband a kiss.

Gabe chuckled and sat down. "You're right."

As they ate their dinner, they talked about their plans for when Sarah would be released.

"I'm going to have to make some changes around the house," Cas said thoughtfully. "Thankfully her room is downstairs. She's already going through so much; I want her to have as much familiarity as possible."

Sam nodded. "That'll help. She's not going to understand why she can't walk, so being in a place where she feels safe will be good for her."

"Exactly. And I want both of you there."

"We wouldn't be anywhere else, kiddo," Gabe promised his brother.

Reassured, Cas ate his entire sandwich, much to Gabe's relief.

They fell into a comfortable quiet as they ate their dinner. Not long after Cas finished his sandwich, Sarah opened her eyes and set her sights on his fries.

Cas caught her gaze and he looked at his fries. "Have the nurses said anything about feeding her yet?"

"They said she could eat regular food."

He picked up a French fry and looked at Sarah. "Are you hungry, Sar?"

"Hunggy..."

He brightened and held a fry to her lips.

Gabe grabbed his own fries as Sarah quickly devoured the French fry. "Give her mine too, Cassie."

A content look settled on Sarah's face as she ate another fry. Cas smiled sadly, unable to stop himself from seeing a tiny Dean chowing down on the fries.

Cas fed her his French fries, as well as some of Gabe's, before she was full. He was thrilled and he kissed her head. "That's my girl."

"I'll go get her some milk." Sam stood up and left the room, returning a few minutes later with some milk.

Cas made room and allowed Sam to give Sarah little sips of milk. "She's doing so well..."

"Mm hmm."

Finally Sarah pushed the cup away. "No..."

"Okay, sweetheart." Sam set the cup aside.

She rubbed at her eyes sleepily. "Cas..."

The sound was music to Cas's ears. He leaned closer to her and stroked her hair. "I'm here, little one..."

Closing her eyes, Sarah leaned into his hand.

"I'm here and I'm never going to leave you..."

* * *

Sarah remained in the hospital for a total of three weeks. In that time Joseph was arrested for child abuse and child endangerment, and Lauren was being investigated for endangerment as well.

Sam and Gabe pulled a lot of strings and Cas was granted guardianship of Sarah the day before she was to be released from the hospital.

Cas couldn't thank his brothers enough for all they had done. He knew it would have been easier for them to get custody of Sarah, and he was grateful they had chosen to help him get custody instead.

Between the three of them, a few modifications were made around the house. Sarah was simply too small for a wheelchair, so for the time being Cas would carry her wherever she needed to be. He never thought twice about any of it because he knew that Sarah could have lost her life that night.

Sarah of course was much too young to know what was happening, so she adapted fairly quickly. She clung to her beloved stuffed tiger and to Cas, but she still asked for Dean at least twice a day.

Each time she asked, it broke Cas's heart. But he was easily able to distract her.

Sam and Gabe were at Cas's home every day. They were the only ones Cas trusted to watch Sarah so that he could cook or take a little time for himself, and they were happy to do it.

For the time being, Cas was Sarah's legal guardian. It would be a long process, but Sam assured him that he would be able to legally adopt Sarah as his own, and that gave him hope.

* * *

Charlie Bradbury loved her life.

She had a great job, several good friends, her own home, and an adorable girlfriend. She counted herself as pretty lucky, all things considering.

So she gave back when she could. She donated money to LGBQT groups, she donated time and money to animal shelters, and right now she was spending a good portion of her week volunteering at the long term care facility down the road.

At the facility, dubbed Petal Ridge, she spent one on one time with patients whose families were either not in the picture or who could rarely make the trip to the center. It broke her heart, but in some small way Charlie felt she was making a difference for these men and women.

Recently she had been assigned to a young man only a few years older than her. His name was Elliot and according to the staff, he was a soldier who belonged to a base that had recently been attacked. Elliot was one of the few survivors, but his injuries were devastating. He had neurological damage as well as physical damage that had left him mostly bound to a wheelchair.

In addition to this, he did not speak. The doctors were unclear if this was related to the head trauma or emotional trauma. Whatever the case, the man never made a sound.

Still, Charlie enjoyed his company. With help from a few guessing games and her trusty phone, she learned that he liked rock music and scary movies. Charlie was also successful in getting Elliot to cooperate when it seemed none of the nurses could.

Charlie walked into the facility and waved to the nurses. "Where can I find Elliot today?"

One of the nurses, a disinterested brunette named Meg, pulled a sucker out of her mouth. "His mopiness is in the TV room."

"Aye aye, captain." Charlie adjusted her bag and ducked into the TV room. Sure enough, she found Elliot in the corner, staring at the TV.

"Hey, big guy. How's Tricks?"

He gave a half-hearted shrug, looking away from the TV.

"Uh oh. Today's gonna be a bad one, huh?"

The injured man didn't respond.

"Hey, no big deal." Charlie pulled out a deck of cards. "How about... I'll sit here and play cards, and you can join me when you're ready?"

Finally he nodded.

"Good man." Charlie began dealing her cards.

As she dealt the cards, he returned his attention to the television. The commercials ended, returning to the news. He watched the weather in disinterest.

Why did they even bother leaving the TV on the weather chancel? Half of the people in the facility couldn't go outside, so why did it matter? He huffed, only listening when the news reel began.

He half-listened to the reports. Since he had been there, the attack on his military station had lost attention from the media. He still watched the news hoping for updates, but they were few and far between.

Just as he was starting to lose interest, another headline caught his attention.

 _ **Famous Author Adopts Child**_

Curious, he lifted his head a little, watching closely. His eyes widened when a picture displayed of Cas carrying Sarah.

A newscaster's voiceover filled his ears. " _Following a brief custody battle, Castiel Novak has successfully adopted Sarah Winchester, the daughter of his late boyfriend Dean Winchester. Castiel, known for his wildly successful book series about demon-hunting brothers, has been quiet about the circumstances leading to the adoption."_

The sound Elliot made startled Charlie. She dropped her cards. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

In response, he pointed at the TV, pointing more vigorously when Cas's face was displayed again.

Charlie swung her attention toward the TV. "Hey, that's Castiel Novak. Are you a fan of his? I love his work."

He shook his head, pointing at Cas and then himself.

"Hang on." Charlie grabbed her bag and pulled out her iPad. After entering her passcode, she pulled up a notepad. Then she slid it over to Dean. "Try this."

He had almost no coordination in his hands and fingers, so he clumsily fumbled on the iPad, huffing in frustration when he made mistakes he had to fix.

Finally, he managed to type, _I'm Dean. Cas and Sarah family._

Charlie looked at the screen and frowned. "Your name is Dean?"

He nodded frantically.

Still confused, Charlie took the iPad and googled Castiel Novak and Dean. A number of pictures came up of two happy men.

One of whom was sitting next to her.

Her mouth fell open. "No way..."

Dean's eyes watered as he nodded again.

"But..." She continued to research frantically. "This says Dean Winchester was killed on his base... unless..."

Dean shook his head.

"This article says two soldiers were brought to the hospital in town. One died and the other...was brought here... They must have gotten the identities mixed up!"

He nodded, pointing to Cas in the picture and making a phone gesture with his hand.

Charlie jumped to her feet. "I have to tell the nurses! This is incredible!" Her face fell. "And awful. Dean... I'm sorry. But we're gonna call Castiel and fix this!"

It took a while, but Dean managed to type out Cas's phone number on the iPad note. He watched eagerly as Charlie began dialing the number.

There was a gruff answer a few minutes later. "Hello?"

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